Roman-Frentani Wars

The Roman-Frentani Wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Italic Frentani people of eastern central Italy.

Background
The Frentani lived between the Apennines and the Adriatic Sea on the east coast of Italy, and they were descended from the Samnites to the west. During the late 4th century BC, the Frentani began to expand across central Italy, conquering the Aequi in 395 BC; Aequi horsemen would become a part of their vast armies during their campaigns.

First war: 395-393 BC
In 395 BC, the Frentani declared war on the Hernici, allies of the Roman Republic. The Hernici pleaded for assistance from Rome, which was currently in the process of finishing off their siege of Antium against the Volsci. Rome decided to honor its alliance and enter the war, assuming that the powerful Hernici - who had conquered the rest of Volscian territory - would be able to fight off the distant Frentani. However, the Frentani were able to conquer the entire Hernici nation, starting off with the conquest of the Hernici city of Fregellae to the south of Antium, and later taking Anagni, the Hernici capital, which was not far from Rome itself. This sealed off Casinum, the Hernici people's last stronghold, which fell due to Rome's inability to send legions to assist the Hernici. In the winter of 393 BC, the Hernici were destroyed by the Frentani, and the Roman Republic now had to focus on fighting back.

That same season, the Romans decided to counterattack against the growing Frentani threat. The Roman general Marcus Furius Camillus and his veteran Legio I Alaudae - the legion which had conquered the Volsci - was dispatched to conquer Fregellae. The city fell with just 200 Roman losses, and Rome was able to own half of Latium as a result of its victory. Before Camillus could prepare to invade Casinum, however, the Etruscan city-state of Tarquinii declared war on Rome, which had moved most of its legions from the north to other parts of the nation to fight against the Frentani. The Consular Tribune Lucius Furius Medullinus (Camillus' brother) negotiated a peace treaty with the Frentani, bringing an end to the first war.